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H is for House of D (2004)

Tom Warshaw (David Duchovny), an American artist living in Paris, looks back on when he was a teenager and the friends he had and begins to discover who he really is.

The vast majority of House of D is set in New York in 1973, and follows Tom as a teenager, played by Anton Yelchin, and his friendship with Pappass (Robin Williams), a mentally handicapped man who is often called a retard, his relationship with his mother (Téa Leoni) who relies of pills and is paranoid about keeping her son safe, and the quasi-friendship he was with an unseen woman (Erykah Badu) who is locked up in the Women’s House of Detention.

There is a lot going on in House of D in terms of themes and plot lines and the various relationships Tom has – there’s also the start of a romance with a girl at his school. Just one of these aspects could’ve made a decent film if it was the primary focus, but having to juggle so many different things means none of them are ever truly developed.

Based on the plot summary and even the trailer, you are left expecting more than what the film gives you. There’s a lot of set up for what could be a big, emotional and dramatic payoff but it ends up being more of a whimper. There’s no real satisfying conclusion to Tom airing his secrets and trying to atone for past mistakes as the payoff isn’t as emotionally satisfying as the lead up promised.

Really the thing that makes you most emotional watching House of D isn’t the story, but the fact you’re watching Anton Yelchin and Robin Williams together on screen and after both of their untimely deaths. While the story leaves a lot to be desired, their performances don’t – especially Yelchin. Even in a film that’s not that great you’re reminded of what an incredibly young talent he was as you see him hold his own against the likes of Williams and Leoni.

The tone of House of D is a weird one. It’s a story that is often very depressing, but it also has scenarios where you’re not sure if you’re supposed to be laughing or not. A lot of this comes from Williams’ Pappass. Thanks to Williams’ comic timing and visual comedy, he is funny, but because his character is mentally disabled, there’s that conflict of are you supposed to be laughing with him or at him.

House of D is a sad drama and it’s one that isn’t particularly memorable. It’s messy and somewhat insulting and insensitive at times, and really Anton Yelchin is the standout and only diehard fans of him should seek out House of D. 2/5.